1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for the preparation of glycol monoalkyl- and dialkyl-ethers by the reaction of synthesis gas, an aldehyde and an alcohol using a specific catalyst system.
2. Prior Art
There is an ever increasing need for a wide variety of glycol monoalkyl-and dialkyl-ethers of differing carbon numbers and structures which have become important present articles of commerce. Such ethers are employed in a wide variety of applications as solvents, reaction media, etc. In conventional processes an olefin oxide such as ethylene oxide is first prepared from an olefin and reacted with suitable alcohol. Since the cost of materials derived from petroleum sources has been rising rapidly, research efforts are now being made to find a new process for producing these glycol ethers which does not utilize an olefin as a starting material. One of the newer methods for the preparation of glycol monoalkylethers, in which an acetal is reacted with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a cobalt carbonyl catalyst is described in German Pat. Nos. 875,802 and 890,945. This process suffers from several disadvantages including a low selectivity of the glycol ether and decomposition of the carbonyl catalyst during recovery of the product from the raction mixture.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,568 a process for making glycol monoethers is disclosed in which the catalyst utilized is cobalt carbonyl combined with a trivalent organic phosphorus compound such as tri-n-butyl phosphine which is reported to give better selectivity.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a novel process for preparing glycol monoalkyl-and dialkylethers by means of a unique catalyst system in which the feedstock utilized comprises an aldehyde, an alcohol and synthesis gas.
Another object of this invention is to provide a process for producing glycol alkylethers in high yield.